Multiple needle tufting machine



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MULTIPLE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1944 lO SheebS-Shee 2 NOV. 19, 1946. 1 HAMRlCK 2,411,267

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NOV. 19, 1946. L HAMRlCK 2,411,257

MULTIPLE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1944 10 Shees-SheerI 4 Nov. 19, 1946. 1 HAMRICK 2,411,267

MULTIPLE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 No 19, 1946 l.. HAMRICK 2,4267

I MULTIPLE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1944 l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 19, 1946. HAMRICVK 2,411,267

MULTIPLE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 2o, 1944 1o sheets-sheet 7 Nov. 19, 1946.

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MULTIPLE NEEDLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1944 lO SheeLS-Shee(d lO Patented Nov. 19,` 1946 yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This `invention relates to a multiple needle tufting machine having sufficient needles, loopers, and cutters to finish a wide piece of cloth so that this cloth can be cut into shorter lengths for bedspreads.

It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple needle tuftng machine having a vertically reciprocable needle bar having sufficient needles therein to cover the width of a bedspread and having a throat plate on which the cloth rests to be pierced by the needles and having mounted for oscillation therebelow a rod having thereon a plurality of loopers and having also mounted for oscillation in timed relation to the oscillation of the looper rod a cutter rod which is adapted upon backward movement of the loopers to sever some of the loops on the loopers together with means for pulling the cloth through the machine in timed `relation to the movement of the needles and having a support for supporting a roll of cloth which is unwound and passed through the machine so that a continuous length of bedspread material can be tufted and whereby the continuous length can later be severed into the shorter lengths for complete bedspreads, said machine Vhaving a cloth guiding apparatus disposed in front of the needles with means for moving the cloth guiding apparatus laterally of the needles back and forth in any desiredpattern to thereby cause the needles to ferm a circuitous or serpentine row of tufts as the material is passed through the machine.

Some .of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a iront elevation of the machine with some of the central portions thereof being broken away;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, but

showing the cloth feeding apparatus land the shafts and associated mechanism, and showing the same in forward position;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but showing the parts in a backward position where some of the loops formed on the looper are being out; A

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a .portion of the needle bar;

'Figure 10- is a front elevation of a portion of the needle bar;

Figure 11 is a rear elevation of a portion of wthe looper and cutter shaft randassociated mechanism;

Figure 12 is a top plan View of the means for moving the cloth guiding means backward and forward and taken substantially along the line I2-I2 in Figure 1;

Figure 13 is atop plan view taken from substantially along theline `III-I3 in Figure 1;

Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional view :of the shaft and associated parts shown in the upper right-hand portion of Figure 12;

Figure 15 is an isometric View of one of the looper elements `and its associated supporting shaft;

Figure 16 is a top plan viewof one of the looper elements and its associated supporting shaft;

Figure 1'7 is a vertical sectional view near the ends of the looper and cutter shafts and vshowing the bearing supports `therefor and being taken along line II-II in Figure 1 or immediately to the lright of part I'Il;

Figure 18 is lan enlarged top plan view of a portion of the bedplate;

Figure 19 is a detail VView showing the course of the tufting yarn forming the loop;

Figure 20 is a view `similar to Figure 19, but showing the needle in a different position;

Figure 21 is a Vertical sectional viewralong the line 2I-2I in Figure 19;

Figure 22 is an elevation of the clutch mechanism for driving `the take-up roll, with the annular confining member removed;

Figure 23 Vis 4a Vertical sectional view along the line 23-23 in Figure 22, and showing the annular member in place;

Figure 24 is atop plan View of a detail of the cutter shaft and associated parts.

'Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numerals I0 `and I I indicate upright end frame members at one end of the machine and I2 and I3 indicate the upright frame `members at the y other end ofthe lmachine. These frame members are joined together at their top portions vby means of top angle members I4 and I5. The upper ends of vertical frame members I and II are connected by an angle member I6 while the upper ends of vertical frame members I2 and I3 are connected together by a similar angle member I1.

Connecting an intermediate portion of the left-hand vertical frame bars l0 and II is a cross bar I8 which projects frontwardly and rearwardly from the machine; whereas, vertical frame members I2 and I3 have a similar bar I9. Secured at its ends to the proximate faces of end frame members I6 and II, I2 and I3 is a bed plate 26 which s in the form of an inverted channel member.

The bed plate has a, plurality of elongated slots 22 through which the needles pass in their downward and upward movements, these slots being disposed immediately above the loopers which will be later described. These slots are elongated so as to permit the tufts to ride outwardly through the rear end of the slots and also due to the thickness of the bed plate, they permit' the oscillation of the loopers in the slots.

.The upper horizontal frame members I4 and I5, in additionto the end angle members I6 and Il have a plurality of cross angles 23 secured therebetween, the end angles and the cross angle members supporting a plurality of bearings 24 in which is rotatably mounted a main drive shaft 25. This main drive shaft has fixed thereon a sprocket Wheel 26 which has mounted thereon a sprocket chain 2'I which is also mounted on a sprocket Wheel 28 xedon motor shaft 29 of electric motor 30 which is mounted on a suitable motor support plate 3| which is supported by a plurality of bolts 32 rising upwardly from I-beams 34 secured on top. of horizontal top angle members I4 and I5.

Secured on the front angle member i4 is an elongated angle bar 35 having a plurality of holes 36 therethrough through which strands of yarn are adapted to be passed on their way to the needles. Immediately below the angle iron 35 are disposed suitable tension devices 3l through which the yarn is passed, there being a tension device 3'! for each strand of yarn. The cross angle members 23 can be made rigid enough to be supported entirely from the front and rear top angle irons I4 and I5, but if desired, additional supports 40 can be secured to a channel member 4I welded at each ofV its ends to the end vertical angle bars I I and I3. .This channel member 4I has mounted thereon a plurality ofv bearings 42 in which shafts or rods 43 have vertical sliding movement. These rods 43 at their lower end are iixedly secured to a needle :bar 44 which has a plurality of needles 45 therein. This needle bar extends entirely across the machine and is of substantial structure so as not to vibrate, and it has a plurality of vertically disposed holes 46 therein in which the needles 45 are adapted to be adjustably secured by means of set screws 41.

.Approximately midway 'between the holes 46 and nearerthe front edge of the needle bar than the holes 46 are vertically disposed holes 48 through which the strands of yarn 49 are adapted to pass on their way to the eye of the needle. The channel member 4 I has secured thereto a plurality of downwardly projecting strap members 5I) to the lower ends of which there is secured a presser bar 52 having a plurality of holes in its horizontal portion through which the needles'pass immediately before piercing the piece of fabric 53 which is to have tufts applied thereto. Y

The main drive shaft 25 has mounted thereon a plurality of eccentrics 54 which are surrounded by an eccentric shaft 55, the lower end of this shaft bein-g pivotally connected as at 56 to the 4 upper portion of the rods 43. For each eccentric 54, there is a counter balance 5'I.

Rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 60 on the rear vertical angle members II and I3 is a shaft 6I which has lixedly mounted thereon a roughened take-up roll 62 which is covered with a suitable roughened material having projections thereon similar to the covering for sand rolls in a loom.

Loosely mounted on one end of this shaft 6I is a disk 63 having a plurality of slanting slots or notches 64 therein in which rollers 65 are adapted to loosely rest. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 6I is a cup-shaped circular member 58 which has an annular portion adapted to loosely rit over the periphery of the disk 63. An annular member 66 is secured over the outer edge of the peripheral portion of cup-shaped member 58 to conne rollers which loosely rest in the notches 64. Fixedly secured or integral with the cup-shaped member 58 is an arm 63 which is slotted as at 'I0 and has adjustablyV mounted therein by means of a bolt 'II the lower end of an eccentric arm 'I2 whose upper end surrounds an eccentric 73 xedly mounted on the main drive shaft 25. The above-described arrangement is similar to the free wheeling feature employed in free wheeling in automobiles. Upon the downward movement of arm 68, the rollers 65 will ride into the narrow portion between the notches 64 and the peripheral portion of the member 58 to move the take-up roll 62,' whereas, upon the upward movement of the arm 68, no move-u ment will be imparted to the take-up roll 62. The

i other end of the shaft 6I has a similar structure to that just described, except that the notches are cut in the opposite direction and like reference characters will apply with the prime notation added and it will there be noted that the arm 68 is xedly secured to an angle bracket 15 secured on the rear vertical angle member I3. This will hold the shaft 6I in the advanced position and prevent reverse movement of the same; If desired, the arrangement on the left-hand end of the shaft in Figure 3 could be an ordinary friction clutch or brake to hold the shaft 6I in the position to which it is moved by the step by step movement as a result of oscillation of arm 68.

Mounted on the rear vertical angle members II and I3 is a pair of brackets 'I6 which have pivotally connected thereto the upper ends of bars "Il, the lower end of the bars 'I'I having rotatably mounted therein a roller 'I8 which is adapted to press by gravity against the take-up roll 62 to press the cloth thereagainst the same so that the cloth after being operated on by the needles will pass upwardly between the rollers 62 and I8 and fall downwardly from the top portion of roller 18 onto the floor or a suitable container disposed therebelow. Extending across the front of the machine and slidably mounted in bearings 79 is a rod B0 which is loosely connected to a crank arm 8| extending from a switch box 82 from which a wire 83 leads to the electric motor 30. Current is brought in through a cable 84 into a control box 85 and a set of wires 86 leads from the control box 85 to the switch box 82, so that by sliding the rod 80, the operator can stop and start the machine at will from any point in front of the machine.

To the proximate faces of the forwardly projecting portions of the angle members I8 and I9 are secured the ends of shafts 92 and 93. Adapted to slide on the upper surface of these shafts 92 and 93 are a, pair of cross members 94 and 95.

On the outer ends of these cross members is mounted a squared bar 96 which has an angle member 91 thereon, the exterior surface of which is serrated or roughened so as to prevent the cloth orfabric 53 from slipping while on the surface ofangle' -member 91. The members 94 and 95 are loosely confined on the rods 92 and 93 by means of members 81 spaced from members 94l and 95 by a'spac'er 88 and bolts 89. Rotatably mounted on top of the inner ends of angle meinbers 94 and 95 is a roller 98 under which the cloth 53 passes on its way to the needles. The front edge of the bedplate channel member 20 has a downturned lip 99 welded thereto and over which the cloth passes. Secured to the angle members 94`and 95 and projecting downwardly is a pair of supports Illlland |I, the lower ends of which are `hooked to provide a, support fo-r a shaft |02 onwhich a roll of cloth 53 is adapted t0 beA mounted. l

The shaft |02 has collars |03 thereon which maybe adjusted to any desired position to hold the rollV of cloth in proper alinement with the needles. The cloth table which has been described for sliding movement back and forth on the rods 92 and 93 has a link |06 pivotally secured thereto as at |81 and the other end is pivotally secured on a pin |08 fixed on the upper side of a worm gear |09 which is mounted for rotation on a bracket ||0 and meshing with this worin gear |09 is a worm I|| fixed on a shaft ||2 rotatably mounted at its ends in bearings disposed on bracket ||0.

The shaft ||2 has a shoulder II3 and also a shoulder ||4 and on the portion ||5 of the shaft is loosely mounted a member having V-pulleys I |6 and I1 integral with each other and mounted for rotation on portion |5 of the shaft I2. This member Ilia` is loosely confined on portion ||5 by means of a nut ||8. The member having V-pulleys ||6 and II1 integral therewith has a serrated face projecting to the left in Figures 1, 12, and 14.

There is a key-way |2| mounted in shaft ||2, and a clutch member |22 having a serrated face |23 is mounted for sliding movement on the keyway I2I. This member |22 has a peripheral groove |25 which is adapted to be engaged by the forked prongs |26 and |21 of a member |28 which is pivotally mounted as at |29 in a sliding block |30 mounted in a suitable guide way, not shown, on the upper surface of a bracket |3I, which has an upturned end |32 for confining a compression spring |33, which normally presses the lower end of member |28 to the left in Figure l.

o Rotatably mounted at its ends in a bracket |35 is a shaft |36 having a worm |31 xed thereon which meshes with a worm gear |38 mounted for rotation in brackets |39 and |40. Worm gear |38 has a plurality of holes |4I into which one or more pins |42 can be inserted for swinging lever |28 on its pivot |29 when the worm gear |38 moves to a position to where a pin |42 will engage the lever |28. The shafi-l |36 has a V-pulley |43 xed thereon and a beltI |44 extends from pulley |43 to pulley 1. A belt |45 also extends from pulley ||6 to a pulley |46 xedly mounted on main drive shaft 25. Main drive shaft 25 has a hand wheel |41 fixed thereon so that the machine can be turned by Ahand when desired for its few strokes and adjustment purposes, and the like. The above-described arrangement permits the cloth to be moved back and forth laterally to produce sinuous rows of tufts according to any desired pattern, depending onthe number of pins |42 and their positionon worm gear |38.

The main drive shaft 25 has xed onjthe lefthand end thereof when viewed from the front of the machine a sprocket wheel |50 on which is mounted a sprocket chain |5| which extends downwardly and is mounted on a sprocket wheel |52 fixed on `lower drive shaft |53 which is mounted in bearings |54 and |55 mounted on cross angle irons |56 and |51.

Fixed on this shaft |53 is an eccentric |60 around which is mounted an eccentric arml and hub |6| whose outer end has a bolt |62 therein which is adjustably mounted in a slot |63 in the lower end of arm |64 whose upper end is secured to an oscillating shaft |65. The oscillat-` ting `shaft |65 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings |66 secured in cross bars |61 whose ends are vertically slotted as at |68 and are secured for Vvertical adjustment by means of bolts |69 and |10, which project from blocks and |12 which are fixed `to `outer surfaces of the vertical side portions of the channel bedplate member 20.

Projecting upwardly from shaft |65 are arms |13 which have rigidly attached tothe upper ends thereof a looper holding shaft |14. This looper holding shaft has adjustably mounted -thereon a plurality of 1ooper supporting members |15 which members |15 are adapted to be adjusted along the shafts |14 and in proper ani gularity by means of being split atone end and having a bolt |16 for pressing the two parts together to clampingly engage the shaft |14.

Each member |15 has a rearwardly projecting portion which has a pair of grooves cut vertically from the rear outer corners thereof providing a rib |80, and mounted for vertical adjustment on this rib is a looper supporting member |8| which is forked at its lower end and is adapted to fit on both sides of the rib and the rib |80 has a screw threaded hole therein in which a screw |82 is threadably mounted after being passed through a washer |83 to firmly affix the looper supporting member |8I in vertically adjusted position.

The looper supporting member` |8I has secured thereon by means of a couple of screws |84 a looper bill |85 which has a downturned lip |86 at its front end.

Projecting downwardly from oscillating shaft |65 is an arm |81 which has pivotally secured thereto as at |88V a link |89 whose other end is secured by a bolt |90 in any one of a plurality of holes |9| in an arm |92 afxed -to and projecting downwardly from oscillating cutter shaft |93. This cutter shaft |93 is rotatably mounted in the vertically adjustable bearings |94 which are slotted at their lower end as at |95 and secured to bars |61 by means of bolt |96 for vertical adjustment on the cross bars |61.

The shaft |93 has fixedly secured thereto and in spaced relation thereto a square bar |91 by means of screws |98 and spacer washers |99 holding the bar |91 in spaced relation to the shaft |93. The bar |91has adjustably mounted therein short rods 200 which have one end pressing against a flat portion 20| on shaft |93 and are held in adjusted position by means of a set screw 203 and the outer end of each of the short shafts or bars 200 has a vertically disposed slot 204 therein in which a leaf spring like cutter blade such as a piece of hack saw blade 205 is adapted to be adjustably secured by means of a set screw 206 threadably mounted in the end of each of the short bars or rods 200 and engagng the edge of the cutter blade 205 to hold it in adjusted position. 'Ihe upper end of the cutterblade 205 is beveled into a cutting edge as at 201 and the upper side surface ofthe cutter blade is adapted to slidably engage the vertical shank portion of the looper |85 at all times as it is flexed by the angular setting of the rods 200 so as to slidably and resilientlyV engage the side of the looper shank |85 at Iall times.

In Figure 7, the looper bill |85 is shown in advanced position passing between the yarn and the needle-and in such lposition due to the coaction between ythe arms |87 and |92 and links |89, ythe cutting upper end or cutting edge of the blade 205 is in lowered position to allow the loops to move backwardlyl onto the looper bill;l whereas, as the looper moves .backwardly, the cutter 205 moves upwardly to the position shown in Figures 8 and 20 to cut the rearwardly disposed loops on the looper bill but leaving one or two uncut loops on the looper bill so as to prevent the yarn from being withdrawn from the fabric on account of the amoun-t of resistance offered to the loops by being in the fabric. Upon rearward movement of the looper bill, the downwardly projecting lip |86 retains the uncut loops on the looper bill and upon each forward movement of the looper bill to form a, new loop, the already formed loops on the looper bill are moved rearwardly by the oncoming and newly formed loops to a position where they will be engaged by the cutting edge of the cutter blade to sever `the rearmost loops on the looper bill.

Although in several of the views, the presser bar 52 is shown elevated from the fabric for` the sake of clearness, it is to be understood that this presser bar 52 in operation has its lower surface in rather close proximity tov the upper surface of the fabric.

In Figure 6, there is shown a rod 2|9 which extends between the front posts lll and I2 for guiding the yarn on its way from the tension devices 3l to the needle bar 44. This rod is omitted in many of the other views for sake of clearness.

The eccentric 'i3 is so positioned on the shaft 25 that downward movement of lever 88 will occur to drive the take up roll 52 while the needles are moving upwardly out of the fabric and descending towards the fabric,so that a newportion of fabric will be presented for the succeeding loop to be formed.

Method of operation Power is delivered from electric motor 30 to the main shaft 25, which by reason of eccentric means, causes vertical reciprocation of the needle bar 44 to cause the needles to penetrate the fabric. Shaft |65 is oscillated byan eccentric arrangement on driven shaft |53. Shaft |55 by means of arm |81, link |89, and arm |92, oscillates cutter shaft |93., 1 n

By referring to Figure 7, it is seen that when shaft oscjllates in a counterclockwise manner tomove the loopers forwardly, this causes shaft |93 to oscillate in a counterclockwise manner to lower the cutting knives 205 to allow the loops to move backwardly on the loopers. When the needles have reached their uppermost position, the shaft |65 oscillates in aclockwise manner and shaft |93 operates in a clockwise manner to raise Vthe knives 205 upwardly to cut all but the rst one or two loops onthe looper.

The eccentric '|3 on shaft 25 oscillates arm 68, which, by means of overriding clutch 66 gives a step-by-step movement to the feed roll 82 to ad. Vance the fabric while the needles are in raised position. By means of belt |45, pulley is rotated which by means of belt |44 rotates shaft |36 which rotates pattern wheel |38 which by means of lever |28 clutches pulley I6 with clutch portion |22 to drive shaft ||2 and wheel and gear |09 oscillate the cloth carriage comprising roughened angle member 91 to thus move the cloth back and forth laterally to form sinuous rows of tufts in the fabric.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specic terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being de'ned in the claims.

I claim:

In a, tufting machine having a plurality of needles for penetrating a fabric and having a looper associated with each needle, means for operating all of the loopers in unison to engage a loop when a needle penetrates below the fabric being passed through the machine, a cutter associated with each looper, and separately mounted therefrom, for engaging the looper at all times and for severing some of the loops on the looper as the looper swings rearwardly when the needles ,l rise upwardly, a feed roll for pulling the fabric through the machine, means driven by themachine for driving the feed roll in timed relation to the reciprocation of the needles, a work support table for supporting the fabric in front of the needles, means for moving the work support table laterally back and forth relative to the needles to thereby form sinuous lines of tufts on the fabric by changing the position of the fabric as it advances to the needles, Yand pattern means for controlling movement of the work support table including a pattern wheel having pins thereon, and a lever engageable by the pins for rendering active the means for moving the work support.

LYMAN I-IAMRICK. 

